Wyoming Bill To Ban Trans Athletes From Women’s Sports Advances
A bill that would ban anyone born as a male from competing in Wyoming's sports in Wyoming has passed the Wyoming Senate and is now headed to the state House of Representatives.
You can read Senate File 51 here.
The bill is called the ''Fairness in Women's Sports Act."
The legislation is sponsored by Sen. Wendy Shuler [R-Uinta County]. Shuler has said that the legislation is a matter of fairness to female athletes.
Speaking in favor of the bill before the introductory vote on the measure on Friday, Shuler said that biological women and girls are being sidelined in women's sports by transgender athletes. She told the senate that people born as males maintain physical advantages over those born as women, including greater height and weight, stronger bones, larger muscles and several other advantages.
Shuler said that research shows that even if the male hormone testosterone is suppressed, it does not eliminate the inherent athletic advantages held by athletes born male over those born female.
But the Wyoming ACLU, which opposes the measure, put out a reelase earlier this week which included the following:
“Senate File 51 is not about leveling the playing field for student athletes. It’s about erasing and excluding trans people from participation in all aspects of public life,” said Antonio Serrano, ACLU of Wyoming advocacy director. “Extreme policies such as Senate File 51 are out of step with prevailing international and national norms of athletic competition. Inclusive teams that support all athletes and encourage participation should be the standard for all school sports.”
Here is how the Senate voted on the measure on Wednesday:
Ayes: ANDERSON, BALDWIN, BITEMAN, BONER, BOUCHARD, COOPER, DOCKSTADER, DRISKILL, FRENCH, FURPHY, HICKS, HUTCHINGS, JAMES, KINSKEY, KOLB, KOST, LANDEN, MCKEOWN, PAPPAS, SALAZAR, SCHULER, SCOTT, STEINMETZ, WASSERBURGER
Nays: CASE, GIERAU, NETHERCOTT, PERKINS, ROTHFUSS
Excused: ELLIS
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